The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-11-23

lectual communication with her father,
and as they walked the floor and talked
of every subject between heaven and
earth she It and listened and learned
and admired them both In the course
of time, however, he began to go there on
Sunday mornings, when Mary thought he
might have known that both her parents
had gone TO church add left her at home
10 look after the seven little other For
wards, Very often he brought book
with him and read il to her, or took one
from the shelves and discussed it with
her, their enjoyment being a little marred
by the clainOrons wants of the seven.
Gradually he came to realize that his life
coul,. not be whole without the compan
ionship of the gentle and appreciaiive
Mary. She understood and recognized
great future was before him and in him
and entered upon her partnership with a
devotion that grew and strengthened I'M
I'll the sud 18th of August, 1888 Mr.. and
Mrs Forward already loved and respect
ed him, and il seemed 10 them no unnat-
ural thing that their daughter should
one day marry him. although she was lit
tie more than child at the time Of her
engagement-onlyl Is.
The maria &c was a sad one. The
mother Of Mary, Forward died three
weeks before it was solemnized, in March,
1896. Passing by the years of Judge
Blacks active professional career in SOM
erset and other western counties the
happy home and happy family ties that
came to him in that charming mountain
town; his services as Judge of the SOM
erset district, we come TO the period of
his recognition as one of the foremost
men in the Democratic party of the State.
Says Mrs. Clayton:
ain 1858 he was nominated by the Dem
ocratic State Convention for Judge of the
Supreme Court, and was elected by a
larger majority than any man running
on the same ticket. Gibson, Lewis,
Lowry and Coulter were elected at the
same time They drew lots for length Of
terms with the understanding that the
Justice drawing the fewest years was to
be chief OF the Bench during the term
Judge Black wrote home on the subject
of the lottery thus:
MY OwN MARY We drew yesterday,
and the result is as follows Black, 8
years Lewis, o years; Gibson, years /;
Lowrie. - years Coulter, Is years. So
YOU see your husband is to be Chief jus
tice. | don't like it. This whole busi-
ness has been like our old woman's
soap; somehow | have mo luck with
it,"
He SAYS, in the little autobiography
before quoted The poll ical reasons
for nominating me as Judge of the Su-
preme Court when the elective system
went into operation. if not good, we're at
least sufficient in the eyes of the Democ-
racy. There were four other candidates
on. the same ticket with me, and five
nominated by the Wings. OF the whole
ten Mr.. Meredith was without doubt the
greatest and most distinguished man.
Yet when the poll came he received the
lowest vote, while | got the highest.
This shows how fillible test the popu-
lar judgment is on the merits of "a candi-
date forjudieiai office.
RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS.
In 1854, the Know-Nothing year. he
was reelected for term of fifteen years.
Considering the political conditions of
the time, Judge Black SAYS this re-elee-
ton gave him more satisfaction than any
event of his political career. But We only
concern ourselves with the home or inner
life of the man in this notice. He had
devoted much time md study to reli-
gion Mrs. Clayton writes:
He had read many books on both
sides. In his youth he bad been beset
with those doubts which have darkened
the lives of 50 many. In the sad hours
following his fathers death he began TO
think about ChristianIty-not only as
fascinating subject for abstract specula-
ton but as to the personal position he
ought to take in regard to it. He had
great admiration, friendship and venera-
ton for Alexander Campbell, whom he
had often heard preach in Somerset, and
whose delightful eompanionship he had
enjoyed at his own house and at Chaun-
cey Forwards. He decided to 60 to him
at Bethany, in Virginia an talk with
him on the subject which was oppress-
ing him. One morning in May, lS+3, he
ordered his carriage and horses. put his
wife, baby and nurse in it, took the lines
himself and called for his dear friend,
Mrs. Emily 0gle, the widow of the Chas-
Ogle oefore spoken of. This party drove
over the Allegheny mountains to Pitts
burgh, and thence To Bethany. Judge
Black was always reckless driver, and
upset his precious Mary and her young
ones many a time, and on this occasion
he paid much more attention to the con-
versttion, both serious and brilliant,
which was carried on in the carriage
than he did to the road. But although
they Lad narrow escapes, they reached
Bethany with no bones broken, and were
enthusiastically welcomed by the Camp
bells.
There they tarried for some days,
while the two great men exchanged
thought. The result WAS that Jeremiah
: Black, in his mental and physical
prime, after much study of the most i'm
portant subject in the world. aeknowl-
edged that the Bible was the inspired
word of God, from Genesis to Revelation
and decided that he would yield himself,
body and soul, to its requirements. He
was therefore baptized in the little stream
at Bethany by Alexander Campbell
Mrs Ogle remarked that she h4d never
seen at baptism so much submission
expressed in the countenance of a con-
vert. Soon after the little party went on
their happy way homeward. Ever after
when asked what church he belonged to,
he answered: "Tc the sect first called
Christians at Antioch"